


This Gentle Sting (Between Us)

by journaliar



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003), Warehouse 13
Genre: F/F, Warehouse 13/ BSG crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 01:15:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2794412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/journaliar/pseuds/journaliar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Helena.” You say and you sound as distressed as you feel, breathing raggedly as Vipers crisscross all around the two of you. “Helena…” Warehouse 13/ BSG crossover that takes place during the BSG episode Pegasus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Gentle Sting (Between Us)

**Author's Note:**

> ...surprise? ...Also please forgive any continuity mistakes or any mistakes for that matter.

Your viper wobbles, pulling to the right and you curse before correcting yourself. You feel your ship shudder just a bit around you when you accelerate and you roll your eyes and curse again. The malfunction is more of a nuisance than a life threatening problem at this point but you’d rather not deal with it at all and you really don‘t want it to turn into a serious issue.

“What’s going on over there, ‘Dexter?” Pete’s voice crackles in your ears and you glance at him, where he’s hovering beside you in formation.

“My turbo thrusters are still malfunctioning.” You say with an irritated sigh, keeping your bird stable. “Chief has already worked on them three times. At this rate, I‘ll disintegrate into a fireball of debris long before he gets it fixed.”

“Frak,” Pete laughs tightly, the sound tinny over the com. “These things are a pile of…” 

Suddenly the Dradis is screaming in alarm and Apollo’s voice takes over the line, advising that he and Kat will scout out ahead to investigate the unidentified ship.

Your hands tighten on your controls with a surge of adrenaline, the light in your helmet flickering as more fighters launch from the Galactica, preparing for battle.

“Galactica, Apollo.” Adama’s voice is buzzing over the coms again. “ You are not going to believe what I’m looking at out here…It’s like a dream.”

***

“Can you believe this?”  

“Not really. No.” 

Pete’s shoulder jostles yours as he slots into position next to you, his posture mimicking yours with arms folded behind his back and spine straight.

Excitement is bleeding into the air as word spreads and the Galactica crew scrambles to the flight deck.

“Where’s your girlfriend?” Pete asks out of the side of his mouth as people fall into rank around the two of you and Tigh bellows for everyone to look sharp. 

“She’s not my girlfriend.” You hiss even as you glance over your shoulder, eyes sweeping the crowd quickly in search of Helena before turning forward when Tigh barks your name. “We’re just friends now.”

“Oh yeah, friends. I forgot.” Pete smirks, nudging your shoulder with his and you roll your eyes and push him back. 

“She has a lot of stuff going on.” You argue and Pete just nods in the patronizing way that you hate even though he knows the stuff you‘re talking about, has spent long nights listening to you talk about those things. “Complicated stuff.”

“Mykes, the world ended and we’re being chased around space by murderous robots…how complicated can it really be?” Pete says without looking at you and you stare down at your boots, duck your head against the wave of excitement that surges across the deck as a Raptor docks smoothly. 

“Made it just in time.” Helena declares, emerging from the back of the crowd and sliding into position at your other side easily, when you glance at her she smiles at you warmly and you bite down your own answering grin. 

“Fashionably late.” You murmur and Helena deliberately slides her arm against yours.

“Always.” She laughs even as Pete clears his throat loudly. “Hello, lieutenant Lattimer.”

“Sir.” Pete greets and you roll your eyes, focusing instead on the Raptor taxiing its way to the center of the flight deck.

“Snap to!” Tigh hollers and the sound of boots clacking together is instant before the crowd goes incredibly silent as the Raptor hatch opens with a hiss.

Your heartbeat is loud in your own ears, anticipation swelling painfully inside your chest and the incredible emotion you have for thousands of people just because they are people, is staggering.

Armed crew members emerge followed closely by the pilots and you hold your breath as a woman, severe and regal emerges.

She stands in the mouth of the Raptor, shoulder’s back and chin forward as she looks out over the crowd. Her eyes, closed off and steely, hesitate on Helena at your side.  The muscles in her jaw tighten visibly and Helena exhales slowly, a curse tagging on the end of the breath.

She walks off the wing of the Raptor, eyes cutting quickly back to Commander Adama, who snaps off a salute, that of which she reciprocates followed by a greeting to President Roslin.

“On behalf of the officers and the crew of the Pegasus.” She calls out, “It’s a pleasure to see all of you. Welcome back to the Colonial Fleet.”

Goosebumps erupt along your arms and you don’t exhale until the crowd erupts into cheers and applause.

When you glance at Helena, she’s stoic.

***

You miss Helena.

Well, you miss her in the abstract, you suppose, because Helena is very much there but she’s just not there.

She murmurs “Beautiful flying, darling.” when you pass her on the flight deck, pulling off your helmet while she snaps hers on and she sits a row in front of you during briefings instead of beside you but she smirks at you just the same when Apollo is being especially pretentious or self righteous.

She’s not insulted when you adjust your morning running route so you’re bent at the waist and sweaty when she emerges from her sessions with Abigail Cho. Only smiles, sometimes with reddened eyes like she’s been crying  but usually not, when you ask how it went and tells you ‘as expected.‘. Then she walks past you and you watch for a moment too long before turning and continuing your run in the opposite direction.

She still beats you in triad, seemingly at will, still stares at you over the top of her cards and through the smoke while she does it but she doesn’t follow you to her bunk after, only wishes you sweet dreams in the corridor and drifts away from you.

You miss Helena softly and quietly. The scent of her hair and the sweet line of her hips and the way she would spin words into worlds in your little bunk with only a pen and paper 

“Hey.” 

You’re drunk on gods awful homemade hooch and merriment, your limbs a little loose at the joints and your smile crooked and generous and Helena takes all of this in indulgently when you drop into the seat beside her in the busy rec room. 

“Hello.” She murmurs quietly, head tipping to the side and you glance around the mostly full room before reaching out for the edge of her chair and slowly tugging her closer to you. Helena laughs quietly at your boldness, watching you shift forward towards her a bit and when your knuckles press to her thigh under the table, she takes a drink from the cup in front of her.

“I love you.” You offer quietly around a grin and Helena smirks into her drink before setting it down again and turning to stare at you with eyes that are somehow deeper than any abyss. 

“Poindexter, we are very much in public.” She points out needlessly and you take a moment to look around the room anyway but the people packed into it are not paying attention to you. There is a raucous game of triad going on that is absorbing nearly everyone’s attention.

“I think about you a lot.” You sigh, tracing the outer seam of her pants with the back of your hand and Helena is watching you quietly. “Especially when I’m flying.”

“That’s very dangerous.” Helena finally says, fingering her tumbler and you watch her touch slide around the cup absently.

“I can’t help it.” You laugh honestly, glancing at her face before down to where your hand is resting just above her knee. “Besides, it makes me fly better. When you’re in my head.”

“Myka.” Helena breathes and you meet her eyes, smiling at the affection on her face.

“Metis...” Myka teases.

“I love you, too.” Helena whispers quietly, sliding her hand over yours and squeezing. “I just need to be whole for you. I want to be whole for you.” Helena murmurs and maybe you’re stupid and maybe you’re drunk and maybe telling her that you yourself feel incomplete and fragmented without her is a mistake, so you only nod.

Suddenly the entire room quiets, nearly deafeningly so and you glance up to see Admiral Cain stepping over  the bulkhead and into the crowd of Pegasus and Galactica crews. There’s the rush of drunken bodies attempting to scramble to attention but Admiral Cain waves it off murmuring, “At ease. I’ve just come to take in a bit of the atmosphere.”

The room relaxes, just a bit, as Cain strides tall and stately through it. Acknowledging both the crews of Pegasus and the Galactica alike until she’s standing in front of your table with her dark, closed off eyes staring at Helena. 

“Metis.” She greets and Helena stiffens beside you. You fight the urge to glance at Helena and Cain’s eyes slide to you as if you’re a second thought.

“Sir.” Helena bites out and while Helena has never been great with authority, her tone makes you clench your jaw in recoil.

“It’s been quite a while.” Cain says lowly, almost antagonizing and you glance between them in surprise.

“It has.” Helena says after a pregnant pause and you can tell that its not what she wanted to say.

“Lieutenant Bering.” She greets and you stay seated against the impulse to snap to attention. She eyes you pointedly, makes you swallow and lock your spine even as the rest of the room relaxes and the noise level rises. “I’ve heard many good things about you. I look forward to having you under my command.”

She delivers the compliment as if its something else entirely and Helena straightens beside you, shifts closer to you and Cain’s cool gaze sweeps back to Helena for just a moment. “Thank you, sir.”

And then Cain is moving on but Helena is staring at the space she just occupied and when you glance at her, her jaw is tight and her eyes are unseeing.

“You know her? I mean, you knew each other before the war?” You ask, glancing over your shoulder as Cain continues through the sea of crew members that part so easily for her before focusing on Helena again.

“For a while, yes.” Helena finally exhales, watching you quietly for a long moment with dark eyes, like she‘s waiting to see if you will make her elaborate. “Will you be okay to get to bed?”

You nod dumbly, watching her stand to press a discreet kiss to the crown of your head before leaving. You watch her go, chewing your lip absently and trying to decide if its your place to question further.

“Hey.” A fresh deck of cards falls onto the table in front of you and you watch as a deckhand with dark hair and bangs that dip into her eyes who you vaguely know as Seelix, drops into the seat across from you. “You up for a game?”

She has a beautiful mouth and the sudden thought makes you shake your head guiltily. “No, I don’t really play.”

“Awe, C’mon. Now that…” Seelix grins, shuffling the deck effortlessly before dealing the cards between the two of you. “Is a lie…You play.  You’re just not very good. Give a girl a chance, wont ya?”

You laugh at that, tucking your hair behind your ears and when you scoop up the cards and shuffle them, she grins at you.  
***  
“She knows her.”

“Who knows who?” Pete asks, both of his feet kicked up on the back of the chair in front of him as the two of you, along with the rest of the squadron, wait for the briefing from the CAG.

“Helena.” You whisper beneath the low hum of conversation filling the pilot ready room, “Helena knows Admiral Cain from before.” 

“What do you mean?” Pete questions, glancing at you and you shrug, smoothing a hand over your hair absently. “Knows her knows her or, like, knows her knows her?”

“I don’t know. It was really weird, you know?” You sigh, scrubbing a hand over your face. “But whatever it was doesn’t seem like they parted on good terms.”

“Careful.” Pete warns with a teasing grin. “Her last scorned lover sucker punched you.”

“Frak off.” You laugh just as Lee Adama strides to the front of the ready room and you reach forward and knock Pete’s feet to the ground. 

“Maybe I should ask her about it?” You sigh and Pete shrugs.

“Maybe you should." He says, "Also, is it weird that I find it hotly narcissistic? Like did they call out Helena to each other?"

You punch Pete as hard as you can.

“Do you two have something to share with the class?” Apollo calls out loudly, looking at the two of you pointedly and you feel yourself flush deeply even as Pete shifts forward and lifts an apologetic hand.

“No sir…Please, feel free to continue.”

***

You’re sweaty and you’re pissed because your fraking turbo thrusters are still malfunctioning and the probability of you being turned into a fiery wreckage the next time you take off gets a bit more probable . 

Your boots thud loudly when you hit the ground after flinging yourself out of the cockpit, cracking your helmet open and tossing it to the floor. You grab a wrench from a nearby tool cart before marching to the rear of your viper, cursing the entire way and ducking down to get to the back panel.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” 

You glance up from your crouched position at the rear of your ship and into questioning but amused brown eyes. “I mean, I’ve heard that you’re real smart but Viper maintenance is sort of a learned craft.”

“I’ve read a manual or two.” You say, cocking an eyebrow as Seelix squats down beside you, offering a small cup water to you and you blink at her before taking it cautiously. She takes the wrench you’d been wielding as a trade while you gulp down cool water.

“You’re all sweaty.  I’d hate to see you pass out.” She explains, watching you drain the cup and when her eyes dart down to your throat your already red cheeks flush a little more. “And I figured maybe I could take a crack at your bird before you…do whatever it is you’re about to do with this wrench.”

“This fraking Viper is trying to kill me and the chief can’t figure out what’s going on with damned thrusters.” You sigh, smoothing a hand over your damp hair self consciously and Seelix just gives you this soft smile and pushes her bangs out of her face.

“Well, the chief’s head isn’t really in the game, ya know, with his toaster ex in the brig for shooting Adama.” She sighs and your stomach still feels sick thinking back on the day of Commander Adama’s shooting. “ Why don’t you give me a shot at it and if I can’t fix it then you’re free to violate this ship anyway you’d like.” 

“Thanks. Thank you.” You sigh and Seelix looks at you with her dark eyes and shrugs a little. “I-I’m Myka by the way. Or, uh, Poindexter.”

You stick your hand out awkwardly and she grabs it quickly, gripping your hand just a little too tight. “Oh, I know who you are, Lieutenant. I like to know the name of the person whose clothes I win in strip triad. And I still have your socks, Myka Bering.”

“You’re welcome to keep them. I just figured, since we haven’t been formally introduced…” you trail off with a blush and she squeezes your hand twice in succession. You’ve been aboard the Galactica for a while now but the pilots and deck crews have always had a somewhat tumultuous relationship and the most you know about Seelix is that she probably cheats at triad and  Helena trusts her with her bird…which is actually saying quite a lot. “There was a lot of hooch in that room. Enough to forget my name, for sure.”

“Gods, you are something, aren‘t you.” Seelix says like a compliment before releasing your hand. Your fingers tingle and you flex them absently before straightening and Seelix follows you up. “Gimme a couple of hours to work on her, okay?”

“I owe you.” You sigh, standing and she grins at you slowly, watching you stretch upwards from the floor.

“I might hold you to that.”

***

“Have you seen?” Pete asks, scratching at his sweaty hair as you peel your arms free of your flight suit. “They keep Cylon score cards on the nose of their birds.”

“It’s disgusting.” You grunt, tying the loose sleeves around your waist as the two of you trudge down the busy corridor, bypassing the showers in favor of a meal.

“It is but, man, those Vipers are sweet!” Pete declares and you’re inclined to agree. “I noticed your bird isn’t doing that whole wobbling, threatening to blow up shtick anymore. Chief finally fix it?”

“No,” You huff, weaving through groups of people absently. “I mean, it’s fixed but it wasn’t the chief. It was the deckhand Seelix.”

“Ah, yes, Diana Seelix.” Pete says, turning sideways to allow another pilot to slide past him. “You’ve got a weakness for big brown eyes, huh?”

You scoff at him even as you blush. “I do not.”

“Oh yeah?” Pete teases, jutting his chin forward and you look up to see Helena making her way down the crowded corridor. “You’re telling me you don’t go all weak in the knees for that brown eyed girl?”

“Shut up.” You laugh and you bite down on the grin that pulls at your mouth when Helena smiles at you as she approaches.

“And where are you off to, Lieutenants?” She asks when she’s near enough but she’s only looking at you and Pete throws an arm over your shoulders, tucking you against his side playfully.

“The mess.” You offer and all three of you come to a halt in the busy hall. “What about you?”

“Commander Adama has requested my presence.” She says with a child like roll of her eyes and Pete whistles lowly.

“Somebody is in trouble with dad.” He sing songs and you shove him a bit, freeing yourself from his sweaty embrace. 

“Everything is okay though, right?” you ask and Helena gives you a soft, affectionate look that has always made you feel like you're made of more oxygen than you actually are.

“I’m fine, Myka.” Helena murmurs quietly. You’re face to face now and you can’t take her eyes off of Helena’s sparkling eyes and you hate to admit it but maybe Pete’s right about you. “Now go get yourself a hot meal. That’s an order.”

“Aye, sir.” You grin, giving her a crooked salute before Pete yanks you away.

***  
"Lieutenant."

Admiral Cain walking into the empty weight room startles you and you quickly rack the barbell you are bench pressing and sit up on the sweat slicked bench. She stops you before you can stand.

"Please, don't stop on my account." She says lowly and you feel unsure as she walks across the space to inspect the amount of weight you're lifting. This woman puts you on edge for reasons you're not even sure of and it must show on your face because she offers you a tight, closed lip smile. "Please."

"Is there anything I can help you with, Sir?" You ask, reclining back on the bench tentatively even as she moves to stand near your head.

"I'm here to help you, actually." Cain says as you wrap you hands around the barbell carefully, adjusting yourself slightly.

"Me?" You ask, looking up at her and she offers that same repressed smile and it makes you weary. She picks up more weight, two 10 pound circles in one hand and slides one on either side of your barbell.

"How well do you know, Metis?" She asks but she asks like she already knows and even though its the end of the world and certain rules and regulations have been eased back, if not overlooked completely, you are careful.

"She and I are close." Is all you offer and Cain laughs at that.

"Has Helena told you how we know one another?" She asks, helping you ease the the barbell up and out of the rack and the weight already makes your arms tremble.

"No." You huff quietly, easing the weight down to your chest before pressing it upwards again with a grunt. Cain is sure to keep her hands hovering between you and the bar just in case you can't handle it even as you drop it down to your chest again.

"She was under my command on the Pegasus." Cain says lightly and you blink, pushing the bar upwards and locking your elbows. "She was one of my most...trusted officers. You could say we were, how did you put it, close?"

Your arms are shaking as you lower the weight again, digging your toes into the mat while something ugly and possessive snarls in your chest. "Why're you telling me this."

"Because, Lieutenant Bering, you should know that this woman you are so fond of will betray you. In one way or another she will, you can be certain of that." Cain's hands wrap around the bar as if to help you because you are struggling to lock the weight out in a neutral position.

"You don't know what you're talking about." You bite out and suddenly Cain's calm expression turns bitter and the barbell is pressed down against your chest, her hands holding it in place while you struggle for air. "What the hell?”

"Lieutenant, from what I hear you are a valuable asset to the Colonial fleet. You are one of the best pilots and, from what I’m told, extremely intelligent" She snarls and you gasp, trying to push up against her weight but its futile and you're pinned like an insect to a board. "Do not let Helena Wells destroy that."

She releases the weight then and you twist it to the side, gasping for air even as the barbell clatter noisily to the floor.  
***

“Are you sure?” You wonder, rubbing at the sore area of your chest with a wince and Pete gives you a concerned look. 

“Mykes, I know what I saw and I don't know why, in the name of the Gods, Helena would be leaving Cain's office but she didn't look happy. She looked fraking pissed.”

You feel dizzy, like your head is spinning and you fight the urge to sink down to the ground because it feels like what's left of your world is turning out of control. Instead you walk away from Pete, ignoring his calls of your name.

 

***

She finds you in the long abandon rec room, slouched in your chair and palming a bottle of clear, grain alcohol that burns your lips.

In the time its taken Pete to track down Helena and warn her of your state, you’ve managed to get drunk and pissed and fraking sad and not to mention drunk.

She enters behind you and you don’t bother looking up from the bottle between your hands because there’s a pressure at the back of your eyes that you know is frustrated tears and the only thing keeping them at bay is watching the liquid swirl in the bottle when you twist it. Helena pulls the entire bottle from your grasp with quick hands, setting it on the table with a resounding thunk.

"I think that’s quite enough." Helena murmurs gently, dropping down in the chair across the table so you’re separated by a scattering of Triad cards. You can’t help staring at her, with her hair unkempt from sleep and worried eyes. The way she’s still beautiful, even now when your head hurts, makes you so infuriated. You reach out for the bottle and Helena just watches you as take a long, burning pull.

"How do you know her?" You cough, setting the bottle down loudly and meeting Helena’s even gaze. "Admiral Cain, how do you know her?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Her eyebrow arches annoyingly and you roll your eyes, shaking your head. "Why does it matter?"

The laugh that leaves you is ugly and loud in the empty room. "Because I'm asking you."

She stares at you for a long moment and rage heats your blood, makes your heart pound. "I told you, I was under her command for a time on the Pegasus."

"And you guys were together?" You demand and Helena sighs, runs both hands through her thick hair and settles into her seat for this conversation.

"We were in a relationship of sorts, yes." She finally says and you swallow down the sudden burning in your chest.

"So she wasn't lying." You say to yourself with a weak laugh and Helena shifts forward curiously.

"Did she speak to you?" She says. "Myka?"

"More like she gave me a warning."You hiss, pushing your wild hair out of your eyes. You reach out for the alcohol but Helena is quicker and you watch her press the bottle to her mouth, throat bobbing slowly.

She sets the bottle on the floor carefully, licking at her lips. " Tell me what she said."

Her voice is calm but her eyes are hot and you clench your jaw. "That you would hurt me. Just like you did her."

"I did not hurt her." She spits, tilting her head and focusing on the Triad cards scattered across the table top.

"Then why did you guys break up?" You swallow suddenly and Helena’s eyes snap quickly to you. "Did you frak her second in command or something?"

"Myka." Helena warns and you frown.

"Can you just tell me? Can you give me the reason why so the next time she tries to cave in my rib cage with a barbell, I'll at least know why?" You groan and Helena's face warps with anger.

"Did she hurt you?" She asks lowly and you just shake your head and fist your hand to keep it from rubbing at the rectangular bruise just above your breast.

"Helena. Tell me." You demand and Helena stares at you hard for a long moment.

"At one time I was the CAG of the Pegasus. During that time, Cain and I were...lovers." She begins and you look down at your hands. "She has always been unstable and while, at times, it was an attractive quality, it meant she was also irrational. She wanted to run a mission that would have gotten people, civilians, killed and she wouldn't listen to reason."

"What did you do?" You croak quietly and Helena's mouth quirks upwards at the corner.

"I personally sabotaged nearly every bird on the deck." She says and you gape at her. "So the mission was canceled."

"What did she do to you?" You wonder and now Helena just laughs.

"I was court martialed but thankfully it was found that my actions, while disobeying a direct order, were for the best and I was sentenced to minimal brig time and transferred to the Galactica."

You only stare at Helena, anger still simmering in your blood. "Okay, so she hates you now? Or, she hates me now and wants you back?"

"I don't know what she wants." Helena answers and you know she's lying, can see it in the twist of her mouth.

"Pete saw you coming out of her quarters before CAP." You whisper, hands fisting against the table. You can still feel the horrible burning in your stomach when Pete had quietly confided what he'd seen. "Are you sure you don't know what she wants?"

Helena only watches you quietly and you shove up out of your chair and stalk out of the room in the wake of her silence.

***

"I've been looking all over for you." Seelix greets and you smile tiredly at her as she watches you brush your teeth. The bathroom is empty considering its well into the sleep cycle and her voice echoes off of the metal. You spit into the sink and rinse your mouth quickly. "I thought you were hiding from me."

Truth be told you've spent most of the day hungover and the remainder of it doing your duties for the day then finding a quiet, hidden place to read and explicitly not think of Helena or Cain or Helena and Cain. "Hiding, yes but not from you."

"I”ll take that as a good sign then." She smirks, eyeballing you with interest and you blush while you pull your damp hair into a knot. "I need a favor."

"A favor?" You laugh and she nods.

"Yeah, I fixed your bird, remember? Basically saved your ass. You owe one." She points out and you roll your eyes but gather up your toiletries and dump them in your bag, stopping at your bunk to put away your stuff.

She leads you to the quiet flight deck, pass the birds and parts and the skeleton deck crew and into a forgotten nook.

"What're we doing back here?" You wonder aloud then stop completely, staring in disbelief at the black viper in front of you. "What is that?"

"That..." Seelix grins as you walk closer to the ship. "That is a stealth viper."

"Where did this come from? Did You build this?" You breathe, smoothing your hand over the nose of the stealth ship as you walk around it in complete awe.

"I helped." She shrugs and you laugh because you would bet on the rest of humanity that she did more than ‘help’ but you bite your lip and glance at Seelix.

"Helped?" You question and Seelix smirks in a way that makes your stomach flutter. You walk around the entire ship, trailing your hand over its exterior.

"A little." She says and you laugh lowly, making your way back around the viper to stand in front of Seelix. "We’re looking for some pilots to take her out. The chief thinks that Starbuck is the only one that can handle her but I think you might be up for the challenge."

"Yeah! I mean, I would love to take her up…assuming it-it’s not going to explode into a thousand pieces with me in it." You say with a grin and Seelix smirks. "Gods, even if it does, it might be worth the risk."

"I was thinking…" Seelix begins, walking towards you and you don’t move even as your heart hammers inside of your chest. She steps confidently into your space, brackets you against the nose of the ship with her arms on either side of your waist. "A trade?"

"A trade?" You whisper and she nods. "I have something you want?"

"Most definitely." She smirks and you blush, watch her eyes drop to your mouth. "I let you take her out and you teach me to fly. I already know the basics but you're one of the best. I want to know what you know."

"To fly? Really?" You ask and she nods.

"I can be more than a grease monkey." She says and she means it and gods, you believe her.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, you've got yourself a deal." You murmur and she smiles, pressing up against you purposefully.

"Frak yeah." She says lowly and then you're reaching out to grip her waist, pivoting and guiding her until she the one with her back to the ship.

She smells like soap and fuel and she gasps softly when you grip her waist with both hands, pressing her back against the nose of the ship and the hand that fists in the hair at the nape of your neck makes your knees weak.

You want to kiss her and that makes you feel guilty because even as you reach up to brush her bangs from her eyes, Helena is still at the edges of your mind. You're angry but you’re also in love with her and so you feel nearly ashamed that Seelix fingers feel like electricity tracing under the hem of your tanks.

It’s only a biological reaction, skin on skin and heat pressing into flesh but regardless it makes you hiss, makes Seelix smiles against your cheek and nip at your jaw.

"I don’t-" You breathe out, thumbs digging into the hollow of her hips and Seelix only moans and kisses you.

She kisses differently than Helena, doesn’t let you into her mouth like Helena does but it still makes you gasp and press into her. It kills you to realize that you want her, differently than the ways you need Helena, but the desire is hot and twisting as you watch her unbutton her own pants.

"I shouldn‘t-" You swallow and Seelix begins unbuttoning your pants too and your eyes flick between her determinedly moving fingers and her face.

"It’s okay." She murmurs enticingly, kissing your cheek, the bridge of your nose and then your mouth again, deep and hungry. "You’re okay. No one knows we're here."

Her fingertips swipe across your lips, nudging inside and you watch her quietly as you lick across the pads of her fingers. Arousal is making your body warm and sluggish and you inhale, letting yourself sink into the feeling.

"Frak." She moans quietly, watching your mouth intently before pulling her hand free and kissing you again then damp fingers are working inside of your pants and you gasp into her mouth.

You groan quietly as she pushes inside of you with two fingers, your eyes rolling backwards before drifting shut and Seelix releases an amused breath against your lips. "Gods."

"Just let me make you feel good." Seelix whispers and you nod, gripping the nose of the ship with one hand and burying your other hand in her hair because, gods you want that.

You feel ashamed of being slick and swollen against the pads of her fingers, for wanting her as much as you do, for coming so sharply and so quickly around her fingers but you also feel desired and high on endorphin as Seelix takes on all of your trembling weight with a low laugh as you slump against her.

"You liked that, didn’t you." She mutters playfully and you groan, running your lips up her throat.

"Gods, I’m going to…"You growl, straightening and kissing her hard on the mouth before turning her around and tugging her pants down over the curve of her ass.

"Yes." Seelix moans, hands finding purchase on the surface of the stealth bird and when you wrap one arm around her, mouth against her neck while you ease your hand between her legs, she chuckles.

***  
You could move on.

You scrub your hands over your face tiredly on your way to the flight deck and you think about how you could move on from Helena. Helena who loves you but doesn't tell things to you. Helena who’s ex lovers keep beating you up. 

You wonder if there's even such a thing as moving on from Helena Wells. Given her track record of former lovers, you doubt it.

“Hey, you look like shit.” Pete greets, falling into step beside you and you roll your eyes.

“I haven't been sleeping.” You mutter and Pete nods as the two of you enter the flight deck. You eye the Pegasus' vipers taking up space and the Cylon Raiders tagged on the nose of the birds make you roll your eyes.

"I'm sure not with all that deckhand tail you've been getting." Pete says waggling his eyebrows at you.

"I don't know why I tell you things." You grumble and Pete just laughs, the sound dying as a group of Pegasus pilots pass the two of you.

“It's not how I thought it be, you know?” You murmur and Pete sighs lowly.

“It was stupid to think it would all be one giant Kumbaya session.” He says, shrugging on the sleeves of his flight suit and you follow suite. “But I thought us finding the Pegasus meant things would be better but its so...”

“Tense?” You offer and Pete nods.

“To say the least.” He says. “It feels weird flying for someone other than the Old Man.”

“Things will settle and then it'll get easier.” You reassure him though the words sound skeptical even as they leave you.

Pete just laughs uneasily as you head towards your respective vipers.

“Hold up, Bering.” Tigh calls, appearing out of nowhere and you turn to him expectantly. “Admiral Cain needs to see you.”

***

Cain's voice calls you into her office and you ignore the pounding in your chest and step over the bulkhead, making sure the hatch shuts behind you before standing rigidly in front of her wide desk. She doesn't look up, only continues to look over paperwork for a long moment.

"You wanted to see me, Sir." You finally bite out and Admiral Cain leaves you at attention, watching you from her desk. 

"Have you spoken to Leiutenant Wells?" She asks converstationally and you only blink at the area just over her shoulder. "Then she hasn't informed you."

"Informed me of what?" You frown and Cain smiles slowly, finally standing and walking around the desk until she's standing in front of you and your eyes dart to hers reluctantly. 

"Not that it is any matter to you but Leiutnant Wells has been transfered. Effective immediately." Cain says almost merrily and you steel yourself against her words, keeping your spine straight against the urge to bow away from her. "She will now be serving on the Pegasus for the forseeable future."

You don't speak. You're not even sure you could if you wanted to because your chest feels painful and your throat is too tight. You swallow hard and Cain smiles wider while she stares at you coolly. “I just thought you should know.”

“Thank you, Sir.” You somehow manage.

"Is there anything else I can help you with, Lieutenant Bering?" She asks almost teasingly and you work to keep your chin up. To breathe through the anger eating at the inside of your ribs when all you want to do is hurt this woman.

"No Sir." You manage, your voice steadier than you'd thought yourself capable.

"Then please leave." She says lowly. "And I know that you and Lieutenant Wells are...close...but need I remind you there are very strict regulations regarding fraternization."

You inhale through your narrowing airway, your jaw clenched tightly. "Aye, sir."

"You're dismissed." Admiral Cain murmurs and, gods, you cannot get out of the office fast enough.

***  
You fly the stealth Viper and it doesn't explode.

It's a little rough but overall it's brilliant and when Seelix finds you in your crew quarters, hatch closing behind her, you tell her so.

She smiles as you gush about the flight and the controls and how it felt. You don't tell her about how it took your mind off of Helena for just a moment and how necessary that was.

Because if you think too much, it feels like a trip to the brig for ripping off Cain's face seems absolutely worth it. It feels like you would do anything to have some place to runaway with Helena. Helena who still hasn't told you that she's leaving and seems to have no intention to, which pisses you off.

“So, you approve?” Seelix asks and you nod even as she reaches for your dog tags, bold and brash and you’re blushing as she pulls you closer, thumb rubbing over the raised letters while she stares at you with dark eyes. Eyes that make you think of Helena‘s endless gaze.

“What’re you doing here?” You ask and she smiles then, suddenly reminding you nothing like Helena at all.

“What does it look like?” Seelix murmurs, tugging you closer by the chain around your neck and you touch her face, push her bangs out of her eyes, the human contact tingling along your nervous system. “Celebrating. I built a stealth ship that didn't blow up.”

“You did.” You laugh but the sound gets caught in your throat when Seelix kisses the corner of your mouth. “I, um…”

“Shhh.” She murmurs sweetly even as you tip your face away from her. Her hand comes up to cup your jaw and then she’s pressing soft, open mouth kisses against your neck, “It’s okay.”

It is and it isn’t and the contact feels amazing, makes your blood warm and your thoughts loose. When you grasp her waist she inhales sharply before nodding her approval.

You jerk apart when the hatch groans open suddenly though and you wouldn’t mind being sucked into a black hole when Helena swaggers in. Her boots are loud in the empty space and you wince as she comes closer before stopping and staring.

Helena has a reputation, a powerful, well earned reputation that your positive is the only thing that makes Seelix bite her tongue even though her eyes are like fire as she stares down Helena.

“Am I interrupting something?” Helena finally asks, looking between the two of you and you lean back against the table in the middle of the room while Seelix releases her grip on your dog tags.

Someone in their bunk laughs and pulls the privacy curtain shut behind you and you roll your eyes. 

“I was actually just leaving.” Seelix responds sounding irritated and edgy. “Myka, I'd really like to hear more about what you thought of today.”

And then Seelix is leaving, eyeing you for a moment before sliding passed Helena who doesn’t move to let her by.

“That was quite the invitation.” Helena murmurs, eyes cutting away from Seelix as the hatch shuts behind her and you watch the bottle of ambrosia she’s carrying lift to her mouth idly.

“I guess.” You laugh, licking your lips absently and running your hand over your ponytail. You don’t react as Helena moves closer until she’s standing right in front of you, her bottle making an empty thunk when she sets it down on the table.

She's not drunk, not even close but her breath is still warm with alcohol against your skin.

“She likes you.” Helena murmurs, glancing once more towards the hatch and you shrug and nearly bite your tongue when she steps forward to press her hips into yours.

“Helena, what are you doing?” You ask quietly, blinking down at her but she only lowers herself slightly to grip your thighs and you use your arms to help her lift you onto the table top. “Helena?”

“Are you interested in her? On starting some sort of relationship with her?” Helena questions after a moment and you’d roll your eyes at the display of jealousy but Helena’s dark eyes look almost scared, like she’s afraid you may be slipping through her fingers before she’s strong enough to hold on to you.

She doesn’t move when you wrap your legs around her narrow hips and pull her close, just watches you with a sort of helplessness that reminds you that things are changing and in the morning Helena will no longer be on the Galactica with you. You kiss her forehead softly and Helena breathes out shakily, hands moving to grip your hips too tightly.

“I love you.” You whisper, ducking your head to press a kiss to her mouth. Her lips part instantly for you and then it’s a dizzying head rush as her tongue traces into your mouth, one hand lifting to slip into your hair.

“You’ve been intimate with her, haven’t you.” Helena whispers and it’s not an accusation but a realization. 

“Just one time. It didn’t mean…” You start thickly, the half truth stalling on your tongue and you exhale, running both hands through your hair. “I don’t know what you want from me, Helena.”

“Abigail suggests that I have made great progress in our sessions.” Helena breathes, watching her own hand fall to cover yours on the table. The feeling makes you bite down on your tongue absently and you close your eyes as her thumb traces your knuckles.

“I know. Every couple of weeks I bully her into giving me vague updates.” You admit with a frown. “I hope that’s okay.”

“Myka Bering, I am hopelessly and forever in love with you.” Helena says quietly and you look up at her, at the softness in her expression.

You kiss her softly, over an over, gentle even as she tugs at your pants and shove them down until they're caught around your boots. Her nails scrape against your skin, pushing your thighs open and when she sinks inside of you with two fingers, you bite her lip and groan.

She moves slowly, watching you closely like there are things she wants to say but instead she leans forward and licks into your mouth.

You exhale when she slips out of you, the table screeching shortly against the floor under your shifting weight while you squeeze your eyes shut and Helena presses innocent kisses against your neck. And this is how you always want to be with her, gods, you think this is how you will always be with her anyway, under her spell and at her mercy.

The kisses at your throat turn bruising and then she’s pushing inside of you carefully with three fingers, murmuring supportively when you keen helplessly against her shoulder and curl your body into hers, the table wobbling unsteadily with your movements.

“Myka.” Helena whispers, fisting your hair and forcing your eyes to hers and you shudder uncontrollably, staring at her in wonder even as her eyes fall to where she’s sliding inside of you.

“I love you.” You gasp suddenly because, gods, you do and Helena’s eyes dart back to your face. “I love you.”

“And I am in love with you.” Helena murmurs before kissing you softly then pressing her forehead to yours while your fingers grip her tanks at the shoulder. 

She touches you like she wants to possess you, dark eyes watching you hungrily and you’re painfully aware of how much of you she already owns.

“I’m…I…” you try even as the tightness low in your stomach becomes too much and Helena slows like she wants to hold off the inevitable but its too late and you tighten around her lazy fingers while blood moves like lava through your veins.

You come undone with an agonized shout, gripping the edge of the table with both hands even as your body bows away from Helena but she holds you close with a hand between your shoulder blades.

You slump against her with a shuddering breath as she slips out of you, hand lingering between your thighs before gripping at your waist with slick fingers.

“Gods,” you sigh while Helena’s hand wanders into your hair and her mouth brushes against your shoulder through your tanks.

You reach down with a groan, tugging off your boots and kicking off your pants before standing on weak legs and climbing into your bunk.

“Come over here.” You murmur and Helena only looks at you for a long time, sprawled and half naked in your bunk before pushing away from the table and climbing in with you, pulling off her top on the way. “I'm sure whoever is in here is pissed they just had to see my pasty ass.”

“Unbelievable, love.” Helena retorts and you sigh. “You are lovely, pasty skin and all.”

You laugh at that even as she guides you out of your tanks. “Helena..”

“I’m going to the Pegasus.” She whispers as she slides a knee on either side of your hips, letting her body rest on yours and you sigh, gripping the back of her thighs. “I‘ve been transferred.”

“I know.” Is all you say because you’re sad and tired and you most definitely do not want to have this conversation right now. Helena pins your arms above your head and you let her while you gaze up at her.

“How? How do you know?” She questions softly and you think about the fact that the privacy curtain isn’t pulled around your bunk. That its been an eternity since you were this close to Helena. That she is leaving. “Tell me.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” You ask instead and Helena's features soften in apology.

“I was scared.”

“Admiral Cain.” You murmur and Helena just stares down at you, alcohol on her breath and her eyes endless in that way they can be. “We had a nice conversation.”

“What did she tell you?” She demands quietly and you laugh lowly while Helena’s fine hands grip at your wrist and desire sits warmly in your belly.

“It’s funny. You always think that you’re unique, you know? That you’re loss is more painful than anyone else loss. That you’re love is completely different than other people’s love. You think that there’s no way someone else can feel the same way as you because the feeling is so unique but that’s not true.” You whisper, turning to kiss her forearm, nipping at her skin. “I feel like no one can love you the way I love you but what the frak do I know? Maybe I love you just like she did.”

“We were not in love, she and I.” Helena whispers before leaning down to kiss you, hard and challenging like she’s trying to provoke you. You take the bait, lifting your head to kiss her back until she’s pressing you down into the bed again. You lick your lips when she pulls away from you. “It was infatuation at best. I was infatuated with her power and she liked a challenge. And now she…”

You free your hands from hers, twisting out of her grip and Helena sits up to watch your hands undo her pants, helps you ease her out of her shirt and bra. “She gets what she wants and she wants you.”

“The only ones who have me are the ones I allow to.” Helena says and you blink up at her in the harsh lights of your bunk before twisting Helena underneath you. “And you are the only person who has me.”

She holds your eyes as you peel down her pants and underwear, tossing them over the edge of bed before leaning forward to taste her hip. Her fingers tangle in your hair, nails against your scalp as you push her thighs apart.

 

***  
Helena leaves with a soft kiss to your mouth.

Things go to hell.

There's an attack and a Pegasus officer is dead. 

Helo and Tyrol are sentenced to death.

The Galactica is spitting out Vipers and so is The Pegasus and you can barely breathe.

 

***

 

It’s like flying through an angry hornets nest. Your hands are shaking badly as you dart away from one of the Pegasus’ Mark VII, twisting through gaps while Kat requests permission to go weapons free over and over and over. 

You dip down low, avoiding another Viper before banking left hard and suddenly you’re nose to nose with Helena’s bird and your thumb jerks away from the trigger. 

You feel dizzy, sweat burning in your eyes and nausea swelling hard in your belly even as Kat continues to demand authorization to fire upon the Pegasus crew and you just…

You’re all just trying to survive and you can’t shoot them, you will not shoot Helena who is staring at you, the light in her helmet flickering idly while vipers buzz around the two of you even as you circle one another slowly.

“Myka.” Helena’s voice crackles in your ears, slipping into your coms frequency and even though you can no longer hear Kat’s voice pleading for weapons freedom, you can feel it in the strain of your back muscles and the heat in your palms.

“Helena.” You say and you sound as distressed as you feel, breathing raggedly as Vipers crisscross all around the two of you. “Helena…”

An alarm draws your attention to your DRADIS and suddenly Adama’s voice from CIC is taking over your coms, warning against a unknown ship approaching and you wheel your viper around along with all the other ships and Starbuck is pleading for everyone to stand down.

Your heart is pounding in your ears and your mind is swimming in disbelief because a civil war has just erupted and you and Helena are, somehow, on opposite sides.


End file.
